Pallet



PALLET Filed Sept. 7. 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY J. V.SPROLLE Nov. 22, 1949 PALLET :5 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 7, 1946INVENTQR 1:. 84mm ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1949 J. V.'SPROI LE V PALLET FiledSept. 7, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR M4. v. M

R 7. M ATTORNEY Patented N 2 2 1 4 PALLET Joseph V. Sprolle,

It is known in the art of handling packages to stack a number of them ona pallet to form a socalled palletized unit which may be picked up bymechanical devices such as fork-lift trucks and carried to and fromwarehouses, freight cars and the like. This speeds up the handling, witha consequent reduction in costs, and also facilitates the efiectivestoring in warehouses and loading in conveyances. Pallets commonly usedfor this purpose have been made of wood and sometimes of fibre board;some consisting of a single plat= form with spacers or legs of some sorton the under side so that the forks of the truck may be insertedunderneath the platform in order to lift the unit, while others haveconsisted of a double platform with spacers so that the forks may beinserted in between in order to lift the unit. Sometimes the packageshave been secured to the wooden pallet, and at other times not. The costof these and other pallets heretofore in use has been such that theyhave not been expendable. As a result, if they were to accompanyshipments in order to avoid the cost of repalletizing at thedestination, the expense of returning them would be involved.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide animproved palletized package unit of simplified construction, formed withan improved pallet which is light in weight and isso inexpensive as tobe economically expendable. The invention provides a palletized unitwhich may be shipped as such, thus affording an oppor-' tunity for moreefilcient and efiective car loading, and may be removed and handled assuch at the destination.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will appear orbe pointed out hereinafter in the specification and claims.

I shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of a completelyassembled palletized package unit according to one embodiment of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevational view of the lower portion of Fig.1, designed to indicate the adhesive between the packages and betweenthe packages and the pallet;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pallet of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of a completelyassembled palletized package unit according to another embodiment of myin Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor to The National Sugar Refining Company,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New-Jersey Application September 1,1946, Serial No. 695,385 7 4 Claims. (01. 206-46) vention, the dottedlines indicating the cs which in this embodiment extend out on all foursides of the pallet;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 4, the dotted lines indicating thepackages which rest on the pallet between the side walls; I midi. 6 is aperspective view of the pallet of Fig. 7 is a somewhat diagrammaticperspective view of a completely assembled palletized package unitaccording to still another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end elevational view or the lower portion of Fig.'7, designed to indicate the adhesive between the packages and betweenthe packages and the pallet; 7 Figdii is a perspective view oi thepallet of Fig.

. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a pallet illustrating still anotherembodiment of invention.

Referring more particularly to said drawings and to the embent shown inFigs. 1 to 3. inclusive, the numeral it designates the pallet which isbent to provide vertical side walls ii and it having outwardly extendinghorizontal flanges it and id respectively. The pallet it according tothe invention is formed of a single sheet of light-weight flexiblecomposition material such as plain or corrugated fibre-board or thelike.

The size of the pallet and the height of the side walls ii and 52 are sodesigned with respect to the particular packages to be palletized, thata layer of the packages may be laid on the pallet to fill out completelythe space between the side walls and that the top of the layer will bein line with the top of the flanges l3 and II:

In building up the unit-adhesive is first applied to the bottom surfaceof the packages as, for example, by passing the packages over anadhesiveapplying roller or rollers. A layer l5 of the packages is thenlaid on and adhesively secured to the pallet. A second layer It is thenlaid on and adhesively secured to the first layer l 5. The packages ofthis second layer it are so disposed as to extend out over flanges layeris also adhesively secured. A third layer ii is then laid on andadhesively secured to the second layer I 6. Succeeding layers are laidon and secured in the same manner to the preceding layer.

In Fig. 2, an enlarged view, it; and I9 indicate the adhesive on thebottom of the packages in the lower layer of packages; 20, H and 22indicate the adhesive on the bottom of the packages in the second layer;and 23, 24 and 2b indicate the adhesive l3 and M to which the on thebottom of the packages in the third layer. Succeeding layers are ofcourse similar- Glue or any other suitable adhesive may be employed. Theamount of adhesive to be used will depend, of course, upon the load tobe carried by the particular units under consideration. It is not alwaysnecessary to cover the whole bottom of each package with adhesive, butis sometimes sumclent merely to apply several strips of adhesivethereto.

It will be observed that a unit of packages is built up having anoverhang to the bottom of which the pallet flanges are secured, so thatlifting points are provided underneath the flanges and thus underneaththe overhang. This assembled unit is substantially rigid since all thepackages are adhesively secured together and to the pallet including itsflanges. The rigidity of the package unit tends to strengthen thepallet, and the pallet tends to strengthen the package unit.

In Figs. 4, and 6, I have illustrated the invention as applied to afourway lift unit. Here. in addition to the vertical side walls II andI2 with their horizontal flanges I3 and I4 respectively, the pallet IIIis provided with vertical end walls 25 and 2 having longitudinaloutwardly extending horizontal flanges 28 and 23 respectively. In orderto show the shape of the blank from which the pallet is formed, thepallet in Fig. 6 is shown spread slightly open; but, when the unit isassembled, the edges of the side walls and flanges are moved intoengagement as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 so as to form in effect acontinuous flange extending around all four sides. By virtue of thisconstruction, the forks of the lift truck may be inserted underneath theflanges from any one of four directions. By way of example, the packagesshown in this embodiment of the invention are of diflerent size andshape, and are arranged difierently, from those illustrated in theembodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. '7, 8

the other is formed of vertical side walls 33 and 34 connected by theflat horizontal bridge portion 35. The arches are of such height thatthe bridge portions thereof lie in the same plane as the flanges I3 andI4. Also this height corresponds to the height of the packages, so thatwhen the first layer of packages is laid on the pallet between thearches, the top of this layer, the bridge portions 32 and 35, and theflanges I3 and M will all lie in the same horizontal plane. In thisembodiment of the invention, the second layer of packages I6 isadhesively secured not only to the first layer I5 and the flanges I3 andI4, but

also to the bridge portions 32 and 35. This is in the preceding figures.Obviously, more or less than two arches may be provided if desired.

Fig. 10 illustrates the application of the fourway lift feature to theform of pallet having an intermediate arch. In this figure, as in Fig.6, the pallet is shown as spread slightly apart in order that the shapeof the blank will more clearly appear. A single arch is shown formed ofthe vertical side walls 48 and 31 connected by the flat horizontal topor bridge portion 0. At its ends the top portion 43 is provided withextended portions 49 and 50, which serve as part of the end flanges.Also, the two portions of the pallet III that lie between the arch andthe side walls are provided at their ends with extended portions bent toform vertical end walls 5|, 52 and 53, 54 having longitudinal outwardlyextending horizontal flanges 55, 56 and 51, 53 respectively. Theseflanges lie in the same horizontal plane as the flanges I3 and H. Aswill be evident, when the unit is assembled, the edges of the extendedportions 49, 50 and the flanges I3, I4, 55, 56, 51, 53 will be movedinto engagement so as to form in effect a continuous flange extendingaround all four sides.

In order to secure .the requisite stability and strength inthepalletized unit, at least some of the packages in the different layersshould be so arranged as to extend across spaces between packages inpreceding layers in order to provide an interlocking effect so as toprevent the sagging, buckling or spreading apart of the stack ofpackages. This interlock should be provided in both directions, that is,transversely and longitudinally of the pallet. Various arrangements ofthe packages may be used to accomplish the interlock. These arrangementswill, of course, be influenced by the size and shape of the packages andthe load to be carried. By way of exshown on an enlarged scale in Fig.8, in which Thus the construction shown is designed to accommodate fourlifting forks, since it is in all instances necessary that forks beplaced under the flanges I3 and I4. Here again, by way of example, thepackages shown in Fig. 7 are different in size. shape and arrangementfrom those shown ample, diiferent sizes and shapes of packages, andarrangements, have been illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and '7 respectively.

It will be understood that in all embodiments of the invention thepackages in each layer are adhesively secured to the packages in thepreceding layer.

While I have shown and described the side walls as being of such heightwith respect to the dimensions of the packages that when a layer ofpackages is laid on the pallet between the side walls the top of thelayer will be in line with the top of the flanges, it will be obviousthat the height of the side walls could be made to correspond with thecombined height of two or more layers of the packages without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

By providing a pallet having the horizontal outwardly extending flanges,by filling the intermediate space on the pallet with packages up to thelevel of the flanges, by arranging the packages above this level so asto extend out over the flanges, by stacking the packages so as tointerlock them, by adhesively securing the packages together and to thepallet including its flanges, a combination has been produced whichpermits the use of a pallet of the utmost simplicity formed merely of asingle sheet of comparatively inexpensive light-weight flexiblecomposition material. A mutual bracing and strengthening efiect issecured between the pallet and the packages which enables relativelyheavy loads to be carried by such a pallet without sagging, buckling orspreading apart.

The term composition materla as used herein is intended to include notonly plain and cor- 'rugated fibre-board but also any other sheetmaother containers, of oblong generally-rectangular shape.

I claim:

1. A palletized package unit, including a pallet consisting of a sheetof composition material bent to provide side walls having outwardlyextending flanges, packages having a height substantially equal to theheight of said side walls laid on said sheet and substantially fillingthe space between said walls, a second layer of packages laid on andadhesively secured to said first-named packages and extending over andadhesively secured to said outwardly extending flanges, and additionallayers of packages in turn laid on and adhesively secured to theimmediately preceding layer, some packages of said layers extendingtransversely and some longitudinally of said sheet across spaces betweenthe packages of a preceding layerj 2. A palletized package unit,including a pallet consisting of a sheet of composition material bent toprovide side and end walls having outwardly extending flanges lying in acommon plane, packages having a height substantially equal to the heightof said side and end walls laid on said sheet and substantially fillingthe space between said walls, a second layer of packages laid on andadhesively secured to said first-named packages and extending over andadhesively secured to said outwardly extending flanges, and additionallayers of packages in turn laid on and adhesively secured to theimmediately preceding layer, some packages of said layers extendingtransversely and some longitudinally of said sheet across spaces betweenthe packages of a preceding layer.

3. A palletized package unit, including a pallet consisting of a sheetof composition material bent to provide an intermediate flat-topped archextending longitudinally thereof and side walls having outwardlyextending flanges, said flanges lying substantially in the plane of thetop of said arch, packages having a height substantially equal to theheight of said side walls laid on said sheet and substantially fillingthe space between said walls, a second layer-of packages laid on andadhesively secured to said first-named packages and to the top of saidarch and extending over and adhesively secured to said outwardlyextending flanges, and additional layers of packages in turn laid on andadhesively secured to the immediately preceding layer, some packages ofsaid layers extending transversely and some longitudinally of said sheetacross spaces between the packages of a preceding layer.

4. A palletized package unit, including a pallet consisting of a sheetof composition material bent to provide side walls having outwardlyextending flanges, packages having a height substantially 1 equal to theheight of said side walls laid on said sheet and substantially fillingthe space between said walls, a second layer of packages laid on andadhesively secured to said first-named packages and extending over andadhesively secured to said outwardly extending flanges, and additionallayers of packages in turn laid over and adhesively secured to theimmediately preceding layer, the packages and pallet constituting asubstantially rigid unit, and the outwardly extending flanges providinglifting points spaced from the bottom of said pallet.

JOSEPH V. SPROLLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,922,560 Sullivan Aug. 15, 19332,256,024 Hill Sept. 16, 1941 2,328,397 Neum'an Aug. 31, 1943 2,412,184Ulinski Dec. 3, 1946

